There are 34 surfers on the current men's Championship Tour (CT) roster, yet at the end of the year, only the Top 22 are guaranteed spots for next season. Naturally, with only four events to go, those on the outside looking in are desperately trying to raise their CT ranking. But they're also doing double time on the Qualifying Series (QS). The hope there is to sneak through the back door if the front door gets locked.
The remaining 12 spots for the Championship Tour roster are reserved for two injury wildcards, and those who finish in the Top 10 on the Qualifying Series. This year there are a staggering number of prominent names in danger, so the list of CT surfers hitting the QS is long. Here's a look at the big drama unfolding on the lower half of the Jeep Leaderboard.